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Moondustesp

Rolex 1680 red

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Moondustesp

Picked this up from mr and I am really pleased with it but I was after that faded/ghosted bezel insert. So I gave insert fading ago. It's not perfect but I am really pleased with the outcome. It completely changes the look of the watch and while I was there I put a new plexi in which was a bit of an upgrade over the original. Overall I am really really happy with it especially considering the price that these are at the moment. I intend to wear the crap out of this watch in the coming weeks so may add a little update or just a few extra pics. Heres a few pics guys BA390A30-E61E-4BE2-80F1-AEBAE6F9DF64.jpgEA41D89A-2583-4EF0-9773-E47FC116D987.jpg

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ElvisFreak

good looking piece....

I find that daily wear is not enough to give the metal part of the watch a worn look....

one careful go at the bag of pebbles is good.

Make sure you cover the crystal and insert with masking tape....

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NCRich

Rocks?

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Moondustesp
good looking piece....

I find that daily wear is not enough to give the metal part of the watch a worn look....

one careful go at the bag of pebbles is good.

Make sure you cover the crystal and insert with masking tape....

I'll enjoy it as is :)

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ElvisFreak

Tiny beach rocks, takes forever to gather a bag full but with patience, you end up with small, pebble sized ROUNDED rocks that will make gentle, marks and rubs on the case and especially the bracelet.

Also, the tiny artificial rock you put on the bottom of aquariums work quite nicely too...

The bag of pennies trick: tried it more than once, does not work as well....

 

Where I live on the west coast, I have plenty of sand/rock beaches and I dive my hand (watch on wrist) into the rocks (again, all the rocks are dull and rounded) several times and that does it too.

 

I also use a piece of aged, rough wood and rub the lugs and bracelet on it : this trick is very time consuming as it shows much slower progress.

 

All these tricks are safe, meaning it wont give your beloved vintie any ugly gouges or dings...

 

You can certainly wear it as is, that was always your freedom to do...

But I find that whenever (rarely) I show someone my 1680, if it is almost mint, it is a tad less believable...

Just aging the bezel will make the watch look somewhat suspicious if the rest of the watch is near new....

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BadPickle

Did you before and after on the insert

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Moondustesp
9FAEE7B6-B920-4556-AD5F-88C4B77136E3.jpg Before

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NCRich

By the way, next time you bleach a bezel insert make sure you wash it very well to remove and oils. That variation in fading that you see is due to the effect of contamination on the surface.

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Moondustesp

I bleached another today. I did clean thoroughly and it came out completely different. I didn't leave it as long but the fade is uniform. I just kinda liked the first one I done :)

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NCRich

I bleached another today. I did clean thoroughly and it came out completely different. I didn't leave it as long but the fade is uniform. I just kinda liked the first one I done :)

 

There is no wrong. And they never come out the same. The easiest way to do it is to put the bleach in the microwave for 30 seconds to heat it up. Chemical reactions take place faster at higher temps. I've bleached tons of inserts. Saves time and you can watch them so you can stop them when you want.

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Moondustesp

I bleached another today. I did clean thoroughly and it came out completely different. I didn't leave it as long but the fade is uniform. I just kinda liked the first one I done :)

 

There is no wrong. And they never come out the same. The easiest way to do it is to put the bleach in the microwave for 30 seconds to heat it up. Chemical reactions take place faster at higher temps. I've bleached tons of inserts. Saves time and you can watch them so you can stop them when you want.

Might give that a go cheers

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Zeerash

Hello guys, I hope this is the right discussion area because I desperately need some help on my new purchase. I recently bought a Submariner vintage 1680 with A2836 movement. For the last of couple of days, on few occasions I have been noticing that while I change the date makes the hour hand shake, does not happen every time though and also the crown slips once in a while when setting the time or winding the watch if it requires. I sent email to the TD and he is more than happy to help me by sending it to the factory to be checked since I am from Canada and wondering if these really are the defects that need to be fixed and I should take the hassle of shipping it back to them or perhaps it's totally normal and is a known issue with this watch or the movement. Your kind advice would be highly appreciated.

Thanks. 

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Speedmaster92

I've got one, purchased from a m2m sales years ago. It came with Superdome crystal, then I vintagized the bezel with a thin sand paper: it gave a nice "ghost" effect to the watch. I will upload a picture :)

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